Bloomingayls

Are you kidding me. . . .

_{In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama said those critics -- which include many GOP leaders in Congress -- have little credibility.}

_{"When we passed this Recovery Act, there were those who felt that doing nothing was somehow an answer," he said. "Today, some of those same critics are already judging the effort a failure although they have yet to offer a plausible alternative."}

_{Taken from a piece in today's Washington Post. . .}

Who is lacking in credibility - would that be the people who have been out of work for months, would that be the people who tread lightly each day, knowing they are a heart beat away from loosing their jobs, their homes, their cars and self esteem, would it be those of us who are tightening out belts in preparation of what is to come, or what is already here, wondering if there is enough money in the world to weather this President's bad decisions.  Would those who lack credibility be the ones who campaigned on transparency, but fail to disclose; would those who lack credibility be the ones who are ready to advance a Cap and Trade bill that totally ignores the science, but generates billions in tax dollars to offset anti-American social programs, making the rich richer and the poor poorer; would those who lack credibility be the ones who are calling for health care reform, when in fact they are just looking for a way to insure 47 million people within the existing system ~ a system by the way that does need real reform and has no chance of being successful in bearing the burden of added participation. And finally, my favorite show of credibility, a first lady who has no problem sporting $500 tennis shoes and a $6,000 hand bag, knowing the personal struggle that so many Americans face. 

Oh and as for the alternative ~ try "nothing" ~ Americans who believe in America understand that an economy periodically has to right itself.  Going back to government interference in Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac that created the housing crisis that led to bank failure ~ going back to unions that were so smug and so greedy as to negotiate themselves out of a job ~ going back to an electorate who drank the Kool-aid and voted in this ultra-liberal President, thinking that change was the easy way out. . .going back had none of this happened our Nation adhering to the Constitution and the principlas of a free market economy, would be on the road to recovery.

C'est finis

Front and back - the lighting is off, but I think you can see the detail.  What a fun book.  I purchased stickers by Creative Imaginations - designer Christine Adolph found at the Paper Vineyard on Alama School & Chandler Blvd.  Not real expenseive and I used them all over the book.  I like them well enough to buy another sheet. . .

The ribbon on the back is vintage seem binding found at Mystic Paper.  The colors are vibrant and perfect for this project.  Heading out to the pool to unwind.  I should be able to get in 1/2 hour of laps before the sun goes down. 

Still working on Catastrophe by Dick Morris and Eileen McGann.  What a wealth of information.  After listening to Hugh Hewitt and his literary guests all last week, I have a dozen or more books I'd like to find time for.  Check out his website if you like thrillers. . .

Mid-day update

 

Created this digitally and printed as a journaling tag.  The best part, I have been working with my Bamboo to add color.  The braket is stitched in orange.  I came back with the Bamboo and colored it in to match my tag ~ so much more control than with a regular mouse.  I really felt like I was coloring in a book.  The whole thing turned out fab. .

 

 

For the flower. . .printed off three circles.  I used my large flower punch on the largest of the circles, spritzed with Patina glimmer mist and water, scrunched it good and then used Golden Gel Medium to form the flower.  I used a smaller version of the circle for the center, also spritzed and distressed the edges with razor blade and applied the gel medium to add body..  The bottom circle, which became the foudation was left alone.   I will be doing more of these flower ~ from digital prints and from patterened paper. 

After seeing what could be done with a simple circle stamp, I began looking for options.  Finally came across a set by Junkitz  (Hampton Art)- Photopolymer Clear Stamps.~ the collection is called Salsa.  Really cute birthday stamps and layers of different circles.  Good stuff. 

This book is turning into something special. . .

 

 

 

 

Hard to see in this light, but the pods on this palm are bright orange.  My eyes drift to this very summer color combination as I take my daily swim.  It's beautiful.

 

 

Baily, nose to the ground as I moved about the yard for some Sunday pictures.  This little dog is amazing. . .she will be six next month and starting to turn gray. She has such pluck!

 

 

and finally. . .a little of what I've been working on this week; an 8X4 Maya Road three ring binder book that should hold 8 heavy chipboard pages.  I'm beginning to have my doubts!  It's all about the beach.

I'm looking forward to a nice quiet day in my studio.  The beach book is near finished.  I have at least 20 more books to complete, a laundry list of one-hour minis and maybe some cards and ephemra.  Combining digital and paper has given me some amazing results; good creative control when I am able to make my own embellishments. . .

Yesterday I broke from scrapping late AM to meet Jenny in Awatukee for a movie ~ we saw The Proposal.  Have to say at first I had problems with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds as a couple.  By the end, the story had captured my heart and as Jenny said this is a "buyer". 

I've been smooshing on the road ways.  I think a lot of this has to do with the road and the heat, but I stopped anyway to have my tires rotated, after Jenny and I had lunch at Mike's Subs.  Good sandwich that I proceeded to wear before finishing the last bite.  Have to laugh, because between Patsy and I this has been our week to wear our food.  I think we need to color coordinate lunch with our attire.

Loving Diane"s blog as she and Mickey live out their Michigan vacation. . .Hello Sandy and Marianne ~ miss you guys!  Thoughts of hitting the road with my camera are inspiring. One of these days it will happen for sure.

It's time to close my computer and get to work.  The heat has slowed me down ~ but today is filled with possibilities. . .I'll let you know.  Remember to live and ENJOY! 

Talking points - Obama-care

Per your request, for our 437 Tea Party Patriot chapter partners, we have prepared a health care power-point presentation with teacher's notes for your health care day, on Friday, July 17th. Every one of you can be an expert on free-market health care! http://actionpack.ncpa.org/  Don't forget to ask everyone to sign the petition.. . . . . . .

Ruins. . .

_{Rome - October 2007}

_{We all have our favorite places to head when we access the news.  Something that is quickly becoming numero uno in my book is the Rasmussen Daily Poll ~ the yardstick of awareness in America. The Obama love affair just might be coming to an end. That's what I'm waiting for - Obama in ruins.}

Obama-care didn't make it out of the gate fast enough to avoid scrutiny.  The infomercials failed to do much to increase public buy-in; now the administration in yet another effort to sell Obama-care, is tooting its own horn to inspire public confidence by telling everyone what an audacious deal they made with hospitals in America who have agreed to reduce their billing to Medicare and Medicaid to the tune of $155 billion dollars over the next 10 years.  Generous on the part of the hospitals? probably not.  Keep an eye out for that bill to make up the difference;  it'll be coming your way sometime soon.

Aside from being asked to give up more for the Nation's under achievers, I am very concerned about the aspects of health care that I consider to be finite.  As an example, there are only so many Drs and nurses, so many facilities to go around.  As it is they are crowded; what are the repercussions of bringing in say another 30 million people?  Obama-care doesn't address this issue, because it is stuck on obtaining insurance coverage for the uninsured.  His promise was insurance: get the uninsured into the system and let someone else worry about how they'll be cared for.  This is a compromise for all involved, with the exception of Obama who is counting on fulfillment of this campaign promise to secure votes in the next election.

Government insurance has to be cheap insurance to work.  Under capitalized given the number of insureds it hopes to attract means that it will, out of necessity, have to drive down costs through rationing or price control to exist.  The whole point of a free market economy is to increase capital expenditures, which in turn will increase revenues, grows business and grows the economy.  It isn't perfect, but it is productive and in the case of medicine it is inspiration for innovation.  We all know that government produces zip; everything that government insurance provides will be at the expense of something else.  Nationalized health care is guaranteed to destroy cutting edge technology that has made the Country a leader in the world of health care.  All this goes back to the limitations of available assets and increased demand.  Those things which are finite.

The Wisdom of Sarah Palin

Today, try this," the governor tweeted. "Act in accordance to your conscience - risk - by pursuing larger vision in opposition to popular, powerful pressure."

Gotta love her. . .not everyone in public service is destined to be President of the United States and some who are shouldn't be.  I understand this is Sarah's decision, but if my vote counted, I'd love to see her become Speaker of the House.  I would love to see Conservatives have the same opportunities that Progressives have had this past 6 month. . .We need this; if the yo-yo's do any more to undermine the Country it will take not just months, but years to undo the damage.

U R Daring

_{Disneyland ~ October 2008}

Yesterday, in my introduction to Obama-care I wrote a lot.  The concept is so instrumental in understanding what this newest legislation is really about and the fact that if it passes,  most Americans give up control of personal medical decisions so that Obama can provide insurance to some undetermined percentage of the uninsured. He isn't reforming health care in America, he is extending coverage and by doing so he picks up the support of countless votes and puts himself that much closer to re-election.  We can't let our representatives vote for this ~ it will undermine the well being of our nation and disenfranchise those of us who are footing the bill. 

A wolf in sheeps clothing

 The women of Smart Girl Politics have launched a grassroots campaign to defeat Obama-care.  As a member of the Arizona group, I want to do my part. 

I recently picked up the book Catastrophe by Dick Morris and Eileen McGann after listening to Morris on the Mike Gallagher program.  The combination of fact and example challenged me to think about health care, and for that matter the entire Obama approach to government from a more global perspective.

The accomplishments of the Obama administration, radical spending, the intrusion of government into the public sector, the call for climate reform (Cap and Trade) and now health care, all of this "Change" has provided the perfect shield for the implementation of Obama's real agenda ~ the growth of government and the acquisition and accumulation of wealth and power.  He's great at it; he and his administration will be entrenched before his supporters realize that they've been sold a bill of goods by a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Our system of health care isn't perfect; insurance coverage excludes certain classes of people and to the extent that these people are without a means to pay, they are a burden to those of us who can.  But to say that the entire system is broken and to nationalize it in an effort to provide insurance to less than 15% of the population, when the majority of us are okay with what we have is insane.  Obama is ready to throw the baby out with the bath water and one has to wonder why.

Hugh Hewitt devoted his program to health care yesterday.  Three segments took up the argument for health care reform from a different perspective - conservative, reform and progressive.  It is hard to avoid the Conservative and Progressive arguments, think about Obama's infomercials ~ but it was the Professor from Harvard's School of Business, Christian Clayton who with two Md's wrote a book about reforming our existing system to make it more efficient and cost effective that caught my attention.  

This is what Professor Clayton had to say about government intervention

 _{Oh, I think it’s just a disaster, because Congress wasn’t designed, the political system wasn’t designed to make hard choices. And they’re incapable of doing it. Basically what they call health care reform has nothing to do with health or care, but rather it relates to coverage that we can extend the current system to more people. And so they want to extend the ability to get insurance at affordable levels to more and more people. And they call that health care reform. That’s not. It’s a subsidy that can extend insurance to more people. But they haven’t thought about how do you make health care affordable, and charging health care, which is what they’re trying to do, by funding all of these through debt, charging health care isn’t changing health care.}

I love the last line - "charging health care isn't changing health care". 

Obama by his own admission is an opportunist.  What better way to advance his agenda and increase the number of Americans who by virtue of benefits received become steadfast Obama supporters: the accumulation of wealth (diversion of insurance premiums into the public coffers) and power.

In the economic scheme of things, 50% of Americans provide the majority of the Country's tax dollars, leaving the other 50% without a vested interest in earnest health care reform.  Faced with the reality of funding his ambitious public option, Obama is now talking about increasing taxes:  instead of applauding or rewarding the ability of working Americans to earn health care coverage, those of us who contribute to the system are facing the real possibility of being surcharged for our productivity. At the same time those who may benefit from the public option will have no qualms throwing unconditional support behind this administration as the benevolent benefactor.

Obama-care isn't health care reform.

Inspired. . .

I'm a firm believer when it comes to scrapbooking, design problems lead to art.  We're fortunate to have so much of this and that to add to a page, or in this case a cover, to camouflage imprefections.  A little acrylic paint, a foo-fa-la fabric flower and lots of ribbons turned this baby book into something special.  Is it any wonder I love this hobby?!!!

Also added the letters to the One Hour mini book done in a Robot theme.  I opened it up for another look and had to say "that's really cute".  The girls and Devin just left for Maricopa.  Took a small break to have a much needed pedi-cure and dinner-lunch at our favorite local Mexican Restaurant.  That leaves me with the evening to get started on something new.  I've pulled out a three ring Maya Road chip board book.  I plan on cruising the net before committing to a theme.  I have accumulated so much cool stuff between Coordinates Collections and  Peachy Cheap ~ I just don't know what to do (LOL).

Peace be with you and as always, continue to ENJOY !